Morning Supercharge Smoothie

I have been experimenting with combining superfoods in my morning smoothies. I came up with this variations and decided to share.

Morning Supercharge Smoothie

1 young thai coconut- meat and milk
1 banana
1/4 goji berries soaked for at least 20 minutes
1 tbsp cacao powder
3 dates, pitted
1 tbsp maca powder (optional)
ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy!

Morning Glory

I just wanted to share with you an amazing smoothie that has energized me today beyond belief. I was just playing in the kitchen and here is what I came up with:

1/4 honeydew melon
1/2 fresh pineapple
1 kiwi
1 banana
4 large leaves of swiss chard
6-8 oz water
ice

This makes a large amount and can be split between two people if desired.

Blend together and enjoy. These flavors meshed really well together and the light green color was beyond beautiful!

Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

I'm still on this raw food kick of mine and I am diggin' it. I'm reading Victoria Boutenko's book, "12 Steps to Raw Foods" and I find it really interesting. I'm learning to listen to my body is response to different foods. Anyhow, maybe some more on that another time because today I wanted to share an amazingly heavenly smoothie recipe that I tried from Penni Shelton's Raw Food Cleanse.

Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

2 cups water

1/2 cup hemp seeds

3 tbsp agave

8 ounce package of frozen organic blueberries

1 tsp vanilla extract or raw vanilla powder

1 frozen banana or 1 banana and 4-6 ice cubes

In a blender, blend water and hemp seeds until it forms a milky substance.

Add the remaining ingredients.

High in protein, antioxidants, omegas, potassium and it's delicious!

Smoothies

In trying to take advantage of summer, I am making it a priority to eat lots of raw foods. Today I've been experimenting with smoothies and have had some great results. Here is what I have come up with.

Raw Chocolate Chia Breakfast Smoothie

1 banana
8 oz. almond milk
1 tsp chia seeds (soaked for 15 min.)
1-2 tsp raw cacao powder
ice as desired

Blend all ingredients on high speed in the blender. So de-lish!


Summer Green Smoothie

1 banana
8 oz apple juice (I juiced my own)
4-5 leaves rainbow chard (from my garden!)
1 kiwi
1 pink grapefruit
1 sprig of mint (from my garden too!)
1 tsp bee pollen
1 tsp raw honey
ice as desired

Blend all ingredients on high speed in a blender. The mint gives this smoothie a super refreshing taste. I was really impressed! I had a mini bowl of raw sunflower seeds, raw pepitas, and pecan pieces with this. Very tasty!

Thirsty Thursday: Brain Power Smoothie

This week's recipe is a smoothie. It's excellent to drink in the morning; especially if the day ahead of you requires a lot of brain exercise. It's also a good one to give your child before setting off to school. This recipe makes two smoothies.

1/2 cup soy yogurt

1 orange peeled and cut into chunks

8-10 strawberries (you can also use frozen if you need to- 1 cup)

1 tbsp lecithin granules

1 tbsp protein powder

1 tbsp honey- raw and local

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

6-8 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

Ingrdient Spotlight: Lecithen

Acetylcholine is an important- if not THE most important- neurotransmitter for memory. The body makes this neurotransmitter from choline which is a B complex vitamin. Studies have shown that choline has significantly enhanced the memory of healthy young adults. Some evidence also proves that it can enhance memory, mental function, and thought transmission. This occurs through the strengthening of the neruons in the brain's centers that controls memory. Lecithin is a a good source of choline. Oranges (included in this smoothie) provide a good source of it as well.